Hailie Deegan and Riley Herbst are two of the 40 drivers at Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the ARCA Menards Series two-day test – the kickoff of the 2020 season as they prepare for the season-opening 57th annual Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire on Saturday, Feb. 8, at Daytona International Speedway.
Following a successful 2019 season where she ran full time in the K&N Pro Series West and captured four top 10s in six starts in the ARCA Menards Series, Deegan will be driving the No. 4 DGR-Crosley Racing Ford full time in the ARCA Menards Series in 2020.
Deegan, who was recently announced as a developmental driver for Ford Performance, will be spending her second weekend in a row at “The World Center of Racing,” this time in a stock car facing the high banks of DAYTONA. Last weekend she was in a sports car, participating in The Roar Before the Rolex 24 in preparation for her first start in the BMW Endurance Challenge on Jan. 24
“It’s really been a bucket list thing,” Deegan says of driving at DIS. “I’ve been coming here for years, coming to every DAYTONA 500. Now to be driving on this track where so many famous and legendary drivers have been racing, it’s been an eye opener to how great this track is and how great this sport is.”
Herbst, who drives part time in the ARCA Menards Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, set the fastest lap of the morning session behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Camry. Herbst returns to Daytona International Speedway for his third year and hopes to improve on his finishing position in the Lucas Oil 200 Driven By General Tire.
“Daytona’s a great track,” Herbst said. “I love coming here. I’m looking forward to hopefully getting a better finish than 10th – for some reason we got 10th both times in the ARCA race, but I’m looking to get the win this year.”
Fastest of the Day: Connor Hall, driver of the No. 22 Chad Bryant Racing Ford, posted the fastest lap of Day 1 of testing with a lap of 181.046 mph/49.711 seconds.
Tickets for the 57th annual Lucas Oil 200 Driven by General Tire, the 62nd annual DAYTONA 500 and all other DAYTONA Speedweeks Presented By AdventHealth events can be purchased online at daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PISHOP. Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Snapchat, and by downloading Daytona International Speedway’s mobile app.
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